“Thank you, Jenni,” she answered with a warm smile.
They entered a darkened store and Ed lead the way to a staircase near the back. The store smelled of mold and mildew, the wood floor creaked as they walked. Motes of dust swirled around in the few shafts of sunlight that managed to puncture through the grime covering the large plate glass windows in the front. The stairs moaned as she ascended them. She was careful with her footing, as it was obvious that the store had stood empty for nearly a decade. Rat droppings and dead insects littered the wood floor of the second floor.
“Got windows here, but the view is blocked out by the Dollar Store.
It's a newer building and comes out further than the rest of the stores in the back. Probably built out a bit for storage and loading,” Ed explained.
Nerit glanced out a broken window. A spider had taken great pains to fill in the gap between the glass and the wood frame with an intricate web. Nerit could see into the back alley that opened up behind the Dollar Store into an empty dirt lot. She could hear the zombie or zombies howling and slamming up against the loading doors of the Dollar Store, but she could not see the undead.
“Roof is this way,” Ed said, and guided her up another set of very rickety steps.
Nerit was rather worried about Bill and his weight, but he followed them, treading very carefully. Ed pushed open a rickety door and they stepped out into the sunshine. The roof was not in the best condition, but seemed sturdier than the stairway.
The town spread out around them in a panorama. The red brick buildings of downtown looked quite lovely against the scenic green hills surrounding the town. The large hotel hovered behind them, untouched, waiting for them to invade. It actually was quite beautiful until you took in the cement brick walls closing off the construction site, the long abandoned storefronts, and a few zombies wandering around in the distance.
Nerit walked to the edge of the building as the warm air buffeted her yellowed silver hair from her face. The zombie was hidden from view by the side of the building. Only one leg was slightly visible as it braced itself and shoved hard against the back doors.
“See? Can't get to 'em,” Ed pointed out.
“I can,” Nerit assured him, and unslung her sniper rifle from her shoulder. As usual, the sniper rifle felt good and comforting in her arms. It was like an extension of her. She closed one eye and focused through the sight. Her senses narrowed down to just her vision and she removed herself from the world around her.
She pulled the trigger.
A gout of black blood erupted from the shattered ankle of the zombie. It lost its balance and tumbled. When its body fell into view, Nerit quickly adjusted her aim and fired. A plume of blood and gore erupted from its head, then it lay still.
Lowering her gun, she listened.
The pounding and growling had ceased.
“You got him,” Bill said in an awed voice.
“Yes. ” Nerit shrugged. She watched the shadows dwelling behind the Dollar Store. “He was it. ”
Ed gazed down at the body, then looked toward the small field where a bike was laying on its side. “Looks like the Ramirez boy. I heard he was in trouble for dating some girl in town. His Dad worked on my farm. ”
Bill sighed. “Betcha he is the one who bit the girl and they managed to lock him out. ”
“And then it went to hell from there,” Ed agreed.
Nerit looked back toward the fort and the people gathered to watch what they could of the proceedings. “Let's get some sentries up here to watch for anymore approaching this way. ”
“Yeah. And get the Dollar Store stock cleared out. ” Ed shook his head and headed back toward the stairs.
Bill looked down at the remains of the young man. “I bet he only wanted to see her and he ended up killing her instead. ”
Nerit could hear the sorrow in Bill's voice and knew it had nothing to do with the boy, but everything to do with his own loss.
It was an emotion they were too well acquainted with in this new world.
2. Packing Up and Moving On
“It still smells like zombie in here,” Stacey muttered under her breath. The too-slim younger woman made a face and rubbed her pert nose.
“Zombie and bleach,” Katie amended with a wry grin.
“Sounds like a drink almost. ” Stacey laughed and puffed air up at her flyaway bangs. She was busy packing up the contents of a shelf laden with boxed dinners and cans of soup.
“In some freaky bar down on 6th Street in good ol' Austin, Texas. ”